Hersey more than just Fabrizius and Dwyer

Luke Fabrizius and Griffin Dwyer have become a potent pair for Hersey.

The senior duo were at it again Saturday night. They combined for 42 points in a 62-44 nonconference boys basketball win over visiting Notre Dame at Ken Carter Gymnasium in Arlington Heights.

But it takes more than two players to become a formidable team. And the various contributions from other sources led Hersey (7-3) to its fifth win in six games.

"Everyone knows what they're capable of doing when they can do it," said 6-foot-3 senior Andrew Petro, who came off the bench for 6 points and 4 rebounds. "We're getting to the point where we're not forcing stuff and doing what we know we can do.

"We know Luke and Griff are scorers, but no one else is afraid to shoot the ball."

Petro followed up an 11-point game Friday against Elk Grove and did his usual screening and work inside with Ryan Moran and Mike Mueller. That freed up Dwyer to shoot 7-for-12 from the field and score half of his career-high 22 points in the fourth quarter.

And Bobby Gehm and Demitriy Velikov handled the Notre Dame (4-4) man-to-man to pound the ball into Fabrizius. The 6-9 Dayton signee took advantage of a team without a regular taller than 6-2 to score 20 points on 10-for-18 shooting.

"Everyone knows their role," Fabrizius said after his 13 rebounds led Hersey's 37-20 advantage. "Guys are stepping up off the bench.

"I think we're coming along. We're getting there."

Fabrizius completed a 36-point weekend without making a 3-pointer. He missed his first four tries behind the arc in the first half and didn't attempt another.

"Coach (Steve Messer) has been trying to focus on inside-out," Fabrizius said. "If we get points inside the outside shots will start coming."

Hersey shot 52 percent (25-for-48) from the field. After going 0-for-8 as a team on 3s in the first half, Dwyer hit its only attempt after intermission to start an 11-2 burst in the final 4:10.

But it wasn't easy as Notre Dame led 20-16 with 5:34 left in the first half.

"It looked like, boy, we're going to struggle with this team," Messer said. "Then we started screening and moving and getting everyone a touch of the ball and the shots came a lot easier."

Zach Abraham and Mike DiGregorio had 10 points apiece as the Dons shot just 36 percent (17-for-47).

"We don't have great size so we have to play hard and make little plays," said first-year Notre Dame coach Tom Les. "We didn't make them tonight and they did."